30/31
Lela works alongside her mother, Siti, as a body washer before funerals
Plot
Lela, a corpse, struggles to uncover the truth behind her mother’s mysterious death while haunted by spirits and the weight of unspeakable secrets. Lela is not happy to continue in this family profession while her brother has taken up another job.
When Siti’s friend mysteriously dies, it unsettles her
This is followed by Siti’s death, which shakes Lela and she realizes that these mysterious deaths were actually murders. When she decides to investigate, another lady dies, and they all belong to her mother’s group of friends.
Whether she will be able to save the village forms the rest of the story
As the families refuse to get involved with the police, Lela sets out to gather evidence to prove that these deaths are murders and put an end to it. The film’s main strength lies in how it uses the female characters, and the defining moment in the film is their gossip, which instantly elevates the story.
The performances were good enough, and I wish there were more of these women
The supernatural angle aside, the narrative is grounded in the occasional jump scare, and the lack of police presence seemed deliberate. The flashbacks are only brief, and we never fully get to know Nur’s story.
Corpse Washer is a decent watch, helped by a good performance from the lead actress
It might have made the film more generic with the good versus evil angle, but at least it would have answered the main question without leaving it unanswered.